Flowers for the Maid
by Maddie's Lullaby
Summary: "He was a great man and an even better Knight, who had helped the late King Arthur overcome monsters, mages, armies, and much more. Yet, the simple sight of those incredibly blue eyes sufficed to render him useless." Or when Percival falls hard for blue eyes and a shy smile. And Gwen likes to meddle. Major fluff. Originally a one shot but added one more chapter to it. PercivalxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Flowers for the Maid**

Sir Percival was known in all of Camelot for many things. First, there was his legendary strength. He was also famous for his great swordsmanship. The man was also a fine warrior, a gentle soul, and he ruled fairly upon the lands that were administered to him as a Knight of Camelot. He was obviously a great man and an even better Knight, who had helped the late King Arthur overcome monsters, mages, armies, and much more. Yet, the simple sight of those incredibly blue eyes sufficed to render him useless. Better, even, he was terrified. And the source of his terror was standing mere feet away from him, behind Queen Guinevere.

The Once and Future Queen's maid was not dangerous, by standards. She was, in fact, quite the opposite. Gifted with what most people believed to be the kindest smile in all the lands, and the softest disposition, the young lady was so gentle that the birds she fed jumped in her open palm rather than flee from it. She was also the Prince's caretaker, and the boy absolutely revered her. But Percival was nonetheless terrified of her. Terrified, and quite enamored.

"The preparations for the annual jousting tournament seem to be going well," Guinevere smiled at the rest of the Round Table, sipping on wine.

"They are advancing fast, Your Majesty," Sir Leon agreed. "Everything will be finished on time for the big day."

"I am glad to hear that. It is the first tournament William will attend. He has been quite excited, hasn't he, Mercia?"

"That is all he has been able to talk about for quite a few days, Your Majesty," the maid agreed. Percival could not ignore the amused gleam in her eyes at the young Prince's antiques.

Prince William had been a surprise and a blessing at the same time. Arthur had left a legacy before his death and as the kingdom was grieving him, Gwen had discovered she was with child.

"Make the kingdom and me proud, Sires. I could not face King Bayard ever again if one of his men won."

"We will make sure to honor Camelot, my Queen," Sir Kay guaranteed.

"Sir Percival seem lost in his thoughts."

So lost he hadn't even picked up on the comment.

"Percival?"

Upon hearing the Queen say his name, he lifted his head to look at her.

"My Queen?"

"You have barely said a word this evening. Is anything bothering you?"

"Hardly, Your Majesty. I…"

He could not finish his sentence as the door of the Round Table room opened. A maid came in and bowed before the assembly.

"I apologize for interrupting your meal. The young Prince has been demanding to see Mercia before going to bed."

"If my Queen allows me…"

"You may go. Tell my son goodnight for me, will you?"

"Absolutely, Your Majesty."

The two maids made their way out and let the gathering finish their dinner. Percival longingly looked at the door that closed behind Mercia. A few snickers were heard across the Round Table.

"Sir Percival, valiant Knight of Camelot, defeated all sorts of monsters, yet vanquished by a pair of blue eyes," Sir Constantine laughed.

"I think somebody owes me a little compensation," Merlin, the official Sorcerer of the Court, smirked, looking at Sir Galahad, who begrudgingly pulled a small pouch and passed it to the wizard, muttering something about him using his magic to cheat.

The Queen herself looked very amused.

"Don't listen to them, Percival. Mercia is a great girl, and very beautiful for that matter. With some wooing, you could gain her heart."

"Oh, but he is just frozen in terror, your Majesty," Sir Gareth commented, causing another wave of giggles to course through the ranks.

Percival's cheeks reddened and he hid behind his cup.

"Maybe flowers. That could always work," Merlin suggested, half seriously.

Percival zoned out, an idea sprouting into his brain. He had been so scared of the young woman he had not thought of the most obvious method. Flowers!

 _oOo_

After coming back from her usual morning walk with the Queen, Mercia woke up Prince William, bathed and dressed him, before accompanying him to the library to meet his tutor. Will was a very curious little boy, and the old professor agreed to answer any question he had for him. That day, all of them were about the tournament, its origins, and history. Mercia usually sat down a bit further, keeping him under her watchful gaze and reading a book at the same time. After the lesson, the Prince usually ate lunch, and had an afternoon nap. The Queen usually being in her study during that time, Mercia had two hours to herself during which she usually went back to her room to do some embroidery.

As she was walking back to her quarters, a strong floral smell tickled her nose. The entire hallway smelled like a field in spring. As she walked closer, she saw servants making a beeline to her room as other maids looked inside, whispering and giggling.

"Mercia, here you are! They just started coming in a few moments ago and putting them there," Alberta, the cook, who slept in the room just next to hers, said as she saw her. The older woman watched her features intently, trying to read anything that could explain the strange phenomenon.

"Put what in… oh…"

The flower scent came from her bedroom. Dozens and dozens of vases garnished every space of her chamber. They were on the small table, on her nightstand, on the windowsill, even on the ground.

"Someone has an admirer," one of the young chambermaids chuckled. "I wonder who that could be!"

"Well, to have so many flowers delivered to her, he must either be a gardener, or a rich man!" Alberta said as the rest of the maids chuckled and agreed.

"A rich man?" The Queen's maid chortled. "Don't be ridi…"

"Excuse me? Are you Lady Mercia?" A young servant asked.

"That is me, but I am no Lady, just a maid."

"Sir Percival sends his warmest regards, and says that though the flowers are no match to your beauty, he hopes you like them."

She was at loss for words. A stutter came out of her mouth as her cheeks and neck flared up, tinting themselves in a bright red color.

"Sir Percival, as in Knight of Camelot Sir Percival?" One of the maids asked after a second of heavy silence. When the young boy nodded, there was a squeal coming out of the maid ranks. The boy and the rest of Percival's servants bowed, before all turning around and leaving the castle through the service door.

Queen Guinevere appeared out of the hallways, enquiring to know about the commotion.

"Is everything alright ladies? You look flabbergasted."

"Your Majesty," the maids all said, bowing before the Queen.

"I saw about two dozen servants coming in from my window, holding flowers and decided to take a break."

"Sir Percival had them sent for Mercia, your Grace," someone piped up.

Guinevere looked inside her maid's room and took in the colorful array of flowers that garnished it.

"Well, took him long enough!"

 _oOo_

At the next Knights gathering, the night before the tournament, Mercia could barely look in his direction. She looked at her shoes the whole time, as the Knights, Queen and mage ate and laughed together. At times, she risked looking up, and her eyes always ended up darting to the Knight who had sent her flowers two days before. He was joking with the others, and she adverted her gaze quickly before he could see her looking. Now, Mercia had always noticed he was handsome. Her first day working as Queen Guinevere's handmaiden, two years prior, she had immediately thought so. She remembered how she had first seen him, when the Queen went to watch the Knights' training, fighting alone against two of them. He was taller, more muscular than any of them were, and it had taken all her control to not stare too much. But she had shut down any girly fantasy that came to her mind. He was a Knight, which made him a noble, and she was just a farm girl who had gone to the city after hearing that the Queen needed a new maid. That was, until he sent her enough flowers to cover her room.

He had only caught her staring once. Her cheeks heated up upon crossing his baby blue gaze, and she quickly looked at her shoes again. She felt his stare burn a hole in her head, but she refused to look up. He continued to try to lock eyes with her until a fellow maid asked her to William's side. She muttered an apology to Guinevere and thanking her lucky star, she practically ran out of the room.

"Percival, what have you done to the poor girl?" Constantine asked, baffled.

"I followed Merlin's advice!"

"Hey, now, I merely suggested flowers, not that you turn her room into Gwen's garden!"

"You should've seen the poor darling's face when she found out who sent her the flowers," Gwen chuckled. "One of maid told me that as soon as your servant relayed your message to her, one would've thought she was just told she became the Queen of a neighboring kingdom."

"Percival, you ladies' man!"

"Dear old Gwaine would have been so proud."

"You'll have the chance to impress her at tomorrow's tournament!"

"She'll be with Will and I, so she'll have a splendid view. The ball is in your camp, Percival."

The Knight had at least the decency to blush.

 _oOo_

Since he had started serving Arthur, Percival had been in many jousting tournaments. The rules were always the same, which was why he allowed himself to drift and paid no attention to Gwen as she enunciated them. Her maid, however, held all his attention as she was smiling at the young Prince's enthusiasm. She looked up and her gaze fell on him. At first, she blushed and adverted her eyes. But then, she looked again and risked a hesitant smile. He smiled back and bowed his head slightly towards her. She looked at her hands, on her lap, cheeks flushed, and smiling to herself. He had yet another surprise for her.

Right as Guinevere had sat down in her seat next to the other monarchs and their servants, and dismissed the Knights to their tents to prepare, a young page holding a single red rose bowed before the Queen, her son and her handmaiden.

"Your Majesty, if I may relay a message?"

"Of course."

"Thank you, your Grace," he curtsied again before turning to Mercia. "Sir Percival sends this rose and said that from where he stands, your beauty is breathtaking."

William giggled as the maid accepted the rose. It felt like for the past few days, Percival's only goal was to make her blush, and he was spectacular at it.

"I still don't understand his fancy for me," the maid whispered, out of breath.

"What's not to like? Go to him, you know you want to."

She hesitated an instant before deciding herself.

"My apologies, your Highness, if I may be excused for an instant," she stuttered.

"Go, before the tournament starts," Gwen smiled knowingly.

Mercia put the rose on her chair and exited the stands after bowing to the Kings and Queens, making her way to the Knights' tents. There were a few ladies there too, as they came to encourage their champions, but all of them seemed to be of some sort of upper class. Though some seemed to not have any titles of nobility, they did not lack riches. Mercia felt small and underdressed and she did her best to ignore their curious stares as she asked a squire to point her to Sir Percival's tent.

"Sire?" She called weakly before entering upon his signal.

He seemed very surprised when he saw her. He was even bigger up close, she noticed. His shoulders were probably twice the size of hers, and he seemed to just have finished putting on his armor.

"I… I wanted to thank you… for the rose, today… and the flowers you had delivered to my room… and…"

She clenched her fist around what seemed to be a piece of fabric, hesitating for the slightest moment, before walking up to him and looked him directly in the eyes.

"I would like to give you something as well…"

"You do not have to, Lady Mercia. Your presence is a gift in itself," he finally spoke, thanking every star in the sky for not saying anything that would make him sound like a fool. Though he had had a false sense of insurance after the flowers, it didn't change how nervous she made him.

"I want to. Consider it a good luck charm."

She unfolded the fabric in her hand. It was a simple white cotton handkerchief with a little peacock embroidered on one of its corners. Percival's heart almost broke out of its ribcage as she tied it securely around his arm. She was choosing him as her champion.

"I know ladies usually give participants pricier and more luxurious handkerchiefs, but I am just a farm girl. Though it isn't made of the finest silk on the market, I embroidered it myself."

"I would choose this one over a thousand silken ones," he assured, grabbing the hand that was still on his arm and kissing it.

She gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen before curtsying and taking her leave. When she sat back down next to Guinevere, she was smiling from ear to ear.

"I gather it went well?"

"Your Majesty guessed well."

 _oOo_

Percival was good. He was spectacular, actually. He had even gotten to the final round against Sir Constantine. However, he had sustained a few injuries, mainly during an earlier round when the wooden lance of his opponent had hit him in the abdomen. He had only remained on his horse due to his strength and agility, but had been favoring that side since. He had held on until the very last second, almost winning, but the pain and exhaustion had gotten the best of him, and Sir Constantine emerged victorious, making him the champion of the annual joust.

"Go check on him," Gwen told her worried maid.

"Sh-should I?" She stuttered.

"You look like your seat is on fire. Go, he'll appreciate it."

She hurriedly excused herself and all but ran to Percival's tent. She didn't even bother to make her presence known and walked in as Gaius was about to bandage his wrist. The Knight had removed his armor and was sitting on a bench wearing only his shoes and pants. He had white gauze all over his torso as well as on one of his shoulders. The Court's medic was muttering something about three bruised ribs and how young men couldn't be a bit more careful these days.

"You're lucky the wrist is just sprained. No swordfights for the next week or so."

"Allow me, Master Gaius."

Percival's eyes opened wide at the sight of her. Gaius did not seem fazed, almost like he had known she was there all along.

"Will you be alright, dear?"

"Yes. I grew up with brothers and have had my fair share of sprains."

Gaius seemed to hesitate for a second before shrugging.

"Oh well. That will allow me to take care of another patient. Percival, I shall see you in three days."

"And you will. Thank you, Gaius."

As the old man left, a silence fell on the two people. She took a seat next to Percival and gently took his arm, bandaging it with the gauze left by Gaius. As she tied it, her eyes fell on his other hand. Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed he was clutching onto the handkerchief she gave him. She had been about to let go of his hand, but instead held it in hers.

"You must be disappointed," he said, breaking the heavy silence. "You made me your champion only for me to lose."

"Disappointed? Sir Percival, I was and still am very impressed by your performance today. You are mistaking my worry for displeasure."

He grabbed her free hand with his non-bandaged one.

"Why me?" She blurted.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You are a nobleman, Sire. You could have any woman possessing any title and any riches. But you chose a handmaiden who, before that, was only a farm girl."

"So was I. Before I met Arthur, I worked the fields for sunrise to sundown. And when my father passed, we were so deep into debts we had to sell it. My mother started working in an inn whose owners offered her a small room and three meals a day for her services, and I came to the city to look for a job. But on the way, I met Lancelot and the both of us went to help Arthur take back Camelot. I was not born a noble, I was given a title."

"That still does not answer my first question."

"I was taken by your beauty when Guinevere first introduced you as her maid. But seeing you interact with the other servants, with the Prince, and with pretty much everyone you met, and before I knew it, I fell in love with your kindness and gentleness. So why not you?"

She did not answer.

"I want to court you properly, if you'll allow me. Now if you do not reciprocate my feelings or do not wish for me to pursue you, just say the word, and I will never bother you again."

Mercia bit her lip and before she knew it, she had leaned towards him and kissed his cheek. For a second, she feared that her action had been too forward, but he sent a blinding smile her way and grabbed her other hand with his unwrapped one, the handkerchief between their palms.

"I am not used to gifts or attention from men, Sir Percival, so excuse my inhibition. It is not that I do not reciprocate your feelings, it is just that I do not know how to. But I will learn with time."

"And I will wait."

She seemed to hesitate before gently putting her head on his unhurt shoulder. A smile split Percival's face in two. In fact, it was so long his cheeks hurt from it, but he could not care less. Soon, she had to excuse herself to get back to the Queen.

That night, at the banquet, Sir Percival walked right through the crowd of women competing for his attention and made his way to where Mercia was standing. He kissed the back of her hand and asked her to dance, which was met by a general disappointment from the female public, and quite a few cheers and wolf whistles coming from the Knights' side.

 _oOo_

She had been walking with the Queen and her guards at the boarder of the woods when Percival came out of nowhere riding his horse. He stopped by the two women. Mercia gave him a smile and a small curtsey as he stepped down. The Knight bowed in front of Gwen before standing straight.

"Your Majesty, I hope you do not mind if I steal your handmaiden away from you."

"I don't see why not, but it is her decision at the end."

"Just wanted to get your approval first. Of course, Lady Mercia gets to decide if she wants to spend the rest of the morning with me."

"I… I couldn't! I still have to tend to the Queen, and the Prince, and I need to…"

"If it is what you are worrying about, there are plenty of servants in the palace. Go, and have some fun! You deserve it."

"I would love to go with Sir Percival, but Your Grace…"

"Oh, for Camelot's sake! Percival, take her with you, the poor girl deserves a nice break."

The Knight picked up the servant, ignoring her protests, and set her on his horse before climbing behind her.

"Queen Guinevere," he saluted, giving her a nod, before riding away.

"Sir Percival! I had so much to do!"

"You heard the Queen! And you can just call me Percival."

"You are a noble. I have to…"

"Yes, that, but I'm also courting you. So, like I said, just Percival would do."

She smiled at him and he almost fell out of his saddle. He must have looked like an idiot because she let out a small – and really adorable – giggle before she settled against his chest. Like she had promised, she was making efforts to be more affectionate with him, and he was being patient.

Soon, Percival halted his horse. They had arrived at the most stunning clearing Mercia had ever seen. The trees were more spread out, but still gave shade, except for some patches of light here and there. There were small wild flowers growing and the grass had a beautiful dark green shade to it.

"It's gorgeous," she whispered, almost out of breath.

Percival got down and extended his arms to help her do the same. She put her hands on his shoulders and his strong grip on her waist lifted her like she weighed nothing (which she probably did, to him) and set her down on the ground. He pulled out a long sheet from the bag attached to his saddle that he placed under a tree and invited her to sit there. He took his place next to her as she admired the landscape around them, sparkles in her eyes. Percival did not know what to say without sounding like a total fool, but she didn't seem to mind. Soon enough, they were conversing like they had done so their entire lives.

"Forgive me if my feelings scare you, but every day that passes, I see myself falling for you more than the day before."

He was conscious of how sappy he was being, and chances were, the other Knights would never let him live this one down if they ever caught wind of it. But one look at the shy smile that answered him, made every potential joke and ridicule worth it.

When he walked her back to her quarters, he gave her a respectful bow before grasping her hand and kissing it. She grasped his other one, and the next thing she knew, her blue eyes were anchored deep in his own. He saw her get on the tip of her toes and met her halfway. Her soft lips seemed to caress his and he felt Mercia smile against him. The handmaiden threw her arms against his broad shoulders as Percival's strong arms encircled her waist. They were separated by the sound of giggles behind them as well as someone clearing her throat. They looked behind them, cheeks red, to see the rest of the servants and Queen Guinevere (who could often be seen conversing with the maids as she used to be one and deeply appreciated their work) smiling, and the matronly Alberta arching an eyebrow, hands on her prominent hips.

"Uh… I should… I should take my leave, then… Majesty… Ladies… Milady."

He hurriedly kissed her hand before almost running away, his entire face looking like a tomato. Gwen walked toward her and linked her arm to hers, and led her to the group of women she was previously talking with before the lovebirds arrived.

"So? How did today go? Tell us everything! I haven't had any tales of romance of my own since Arthur's death, and I'd appreciate living vicariously through you!"

 _oOo_

The big man in armor gulped as they neared the little cottage. His horse could feel his nervousness and seemed easily excitable the closer they got to the house. He breathed in, recalling Mercia's meeting with his mother a few weeks back. Percival had been courting the woman for months now, and after his matriarch's incessant pestering, he had brought the maid to his estate to meet her. She had immediately taken a liking in her, seeing that Mercia was in no way like the haughty, condescending nobles' daughters she's seen around the court.

"This one seems to know the value of arduous work and doesn't look above her nose!" She had said, her arm around his dame's.

He got off his horse and tied it to a tree nearby, and arranging his cape and chainmail, he knocked on the door. Mere seconds later, a young tousled haired boy of barely fourteen years opened it and faced him. His big blue eyes opened wide as he took in the massive Knight at his doorstep. Percival smiled, trying to make himself a bit less scary. The lad still looked petrified.

"William! Who is at the door?" A woman's gentle voice was heard. "Oh… Oh! Sire! Please, come in! Will, it is rude of you to make a Knight wait outside!"

She ushered him inside. It took him a second to respond as her dark hair and blue eyes seemed more than just familiar. The small house was simple, yet clean. There was a table and a few chairs around it, as well as a chimney in which a low fire was burning under a delicious smelling pot.

"Would you like something to drink or eat, Sire? We don't have much, but there is water, and I could ask one of my boys to milk the cow…"

"Please, do not disturb yourself, Madam. My name is Percival. I am a Knight of Camelot's Round Table. Is your husband home? I wish to speak with both of you about an important matter."

"Yes, he is outside working the field with my two oldest sons. William, go fetch your father and brothers, will you, dear?"

The boy nodded and ran outside from the back door. Soon, he came back, and three men stepped inside with him. Percival stood up by respect. They seemed to be sweating from the sun outside. The oldest one, the father it seemed, blinked as he saw the nobleman standing in his cottage. His sons, one looking just out of his teenage years and the other not so much older, looked at each other.

"Sire! What do we owe the pleasure of your visit? Am I late on the taxes? It seems like we just paid them a few days back!"

"No, no, do not worry! It is about your daughter, Mercia."

Her mother looked at him with worry in her blue, and it seemed for a second that he was seeing her daughter instead as they looked so similar.

"Is she alright, Sire? My sister does not usually cause trouble," the oldest out of the three brothers asked.

"She is perfectly alright. I came here to formally ask all of you to allow me to marry her."

There was a lot of confused blinking.

"You. A noble. Marrying my Mercia?" Her father finally uttered.

"But she's just a farm girl!"

"Like I told her, I was too before King Arthur, may he rest in peace, made me a Knight of Camelot. I love your daughter more than I thought was possible, and I have from the first time I saw her. And I want to make her my wife, if I would have your blessing."

"Are you… are you really serious about this?"

"I am a man of my word and honor. I would cherish her every day until my last."

Mercia's mother fell more than she sat down on a chair and put her hand on her mouth, eyes glistening with tears, and she kept murmuring a shocked "Oh, my Lord" as her husband and sons just merely looked at him with eyes as round as saucers.

"Yes. Of course. Oh, by Camelot, absolutely. Golde, our daughter is getting married!" He finally said. His wife, Golde, started sobbing and got up to embrace the Knight out of happiness. Percival returned the grip and patted her shoulder before she was joined by the rest of the family.

Soon, he was galloping back to the castle, and ran through the corridors until he barged into the Round Table's room, in which his brothers in arm were dining with the Queen and the Court's Sorcerer. All eyes turned to him, including the blue eyes of the woman he treasured more than anything. He took big and determined strides as he made his way to her, before grabbing her hands and kneeling in front of her.

"Mercia, there was not a day since I have known you that I have not loved you, and there won't ever be one in the future. I am just coming back from your parent's house and have their blessing. So, will you make me the most fortunate man in the land and become my wife?"

She gasped and put a hand on her mouth before removing it to show the biggest smile he had ever seen.

"Yes! A thousand times, yes!"

He got up, spun the maiden around before cupping her face and giving her the most breathtaking, dizzying kiss she had ever received, under the cheers of the rest of the Knights.

Their wedding had been a small affair, with only the Queen, their respective families, their closest friends and the Knights. The next day, as she was visiting the maids and Guinevere, there had been some teasing and giggles about how much of a big man Percival actually was, especially compared to her petite stature.

And the following year, on a foggy morning, the two welcomed a strong, healthy boy that ever so sensitive Mercia suggested to name Gwaine, in honor of Percival's best friend who had given his life for Camelot. Little Gwaine was followed by a brother and two sisters, making them the proudest parents in the land, and they seemed to be as much in love every day that passed.

 _oOo_

"I'm sure you'll love it here!" Her roommate assured her, smiling brightly.

"This campus is beautiful! And thanks for showing me around!" The new girl smiled, holding a book to her chest.

"Sure! I would've loved it if someone did this for me last semester! Here they are. Hey guys!"

The little group stopped passing the football around, and one of them, a cute blonde boy, adopted a big, dumb, enamored smile as he saw Gwendoline approach.

"That's Arthur," she whispered. "My boyfriend."

"Hey, babe!" Arthur said as she got closer, engulfing her in a hug. "I see you made a new friend! I'm Arthur, nice to meet you!"

"Pleasure's mine!"

"Guys, this is Mercy, my new roommate. She just transferred to Avalon U, so be nice to her."

"Ah, I see Morgan finally moved out!" A skinny boy with a British accent, dimples and blue eyes commented. Marcy had the strange impression that his eyes had seen centuries, yet still conserved a boyish mischievousness. He seemed nice. "I'm Marley, by the way."

"She wasn't so bad…"

"Gwen, she had creepy voodoo dolls around and she tried to jump you when you ran for Student Government President."

"… True."

A boy with a leather jacket, longish hair and a bad boy attitude grabbed the newcomer's hand and kissed the back of it.

"Hey, gorgeous. Name's Gavin, at your service," he said charmingly with a lopsided smirk.

"Idiot, give her a second before being weird," another one said, rolling his eyes. "Excuse the dumbass. I'm Elias. Gwen's twin. Nice to meet you. And that's Leonard, we just call him Len, and Lance."

"Hey!"

"It's nice to meet you all, truly," she smiled sweetly.

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late, I had to… wow."

There was a round of smirks at the newcomer's reaction to the petite girl with the flowery dress, the loose braid, and the startling blue eyes. She gave him a dazzling, innocent smile, and his face flared.

"Aherm… sorry. I was uh… unpacking. My car broke down on the highway, and it took me a couple hours to find out what was wrong. I just got here half an hour ago."

"No problem, man. Hey, meet Gwennie's new roommate, Marcy. She just transferred."

"Nice to meet you," she said to the boy standing in front of her, bright smile still on. He was a good foot taller than her, and he probably weighed twice than she did, and it did not seem like fat.

"Same here. I'm Percy."

"Perce here is our linebacker."

"Linebacker?"

"Yes, they're all in the football team. Arthur's quarterback."

"Hey!"

"Except Marley. He's the mascot. So, he usually walks around with an armor, chainmail, and plush horse at games."

"Go Knights!" Gavin said in a hilariously high-pitched voice, brandishing around imaginary pompoms. The rest of the group laughed as he tripped and faceplanted.

"Percy seems to like you," Gwen whispered to her new friend.

"N-No he doesn't," Marcy stuttered.

"Look at the poor boy, he looks like he just saw the sun for the first time!"

The transfer bit her lip. Coincidently (or not), the bigger one out of the group of guys tripped.

"Well, if you're interested, he's very single, and he's just a big teddy bear."

"Hey, girls! We're passing the ball around, wanna join?"

"Sure!" Gwendoline smiled, putting her sweater down on the ground and running to join them.

"I'll pass. I've never really played, so I'm just fine with watching."

"It's not really hard. Here, I'll teach you," Percy offered.

"Really?"

Their friends discreetly high fived as he put his hands over hers to correctly place them on the football.

"Hey, if you want… I could… I could show you some nice spots around campus… when you're free…?" He suggested, over the ball.

The hesitant tone in his voice made the big, buff guy in front of her look so cute. She smiled, her cheeks pink.

"I'd love it if you did. Does tomorrow afternoon work?"

The Knight's mascot looked at the two of them and took in Percy's big, goofy, happy smile. Of course, the two of them would end up finding each other. Though their love was not mentioned in the legends like Arthur and Guinevere's was, they had had the most beautiful life together, and after Mercia had died of old age, surrounded by her husband, children and grandchildren, Percival had not taken long to follow her, a mere three weeks after she passed. The two had been buried next to each other, and their love had been too pure for them not to meet when Arthur and his Knights rose again.

Marley – that was the closest thing he could find to Merlin without actually using his own name – smiled at the scene. Of all places for the Once and Future King to rise in Britain, the prat had made him fly all the way to the rural areas of Maine, in the United States, that bloody fucker. But it was all worth it when he saw the familiar faces of his most loyal friends.

The sorcerer could not help the big smile on his face when Gwen told them the next morning that a bouquet of flowers had been delivered to the girls' dorm room for Marcy, with a cheesy message that the transfer had found adorable. A few hours later, in the afternoon, Percy himself had shown up to their doorstep as promised, holding a small daisy that she immediately put in her hair before they took off to explore Avalon University's campus. Of course, there was a few cheers coming from their table as Gwendoline retold the events and a few weird glances from the neighboring students.

Some habits died hard, and no matter what century it was, the handmaiden's heart seemed to always be won over by a big guy with a heart of gold and a sheepish smile holding flowers.

 _Fin_

* * *

 _Hiya y'all!_

 _So this one has been sitting around forever waiting to be finished and ta-daaam! Here it is!_

 _Basically, just because Percival is an absolute sweetie, as well as my favorite Knight in general and there aren't enough stories on this website about him. Enjoy, leave a review, and I'll see you guys in my next work!_

 _Love and kisses,_

 _Maddie._


	2. Chapter 2

**Dreams**

 _Sitting by the fireplace, the heavy furs on her lap failing to conceal her round stomach, Mercia looked outside as the snow fell on the kingdom. In the dark horizon, she could see the castle towers of Camelot._

" _How is the little one treating you?" Gwen asked, sitting in front of her._

" _Well enough, your Majesty. Gaius said it would be a week before I am due."_

 _Gwen smiled, satisfied. She would be staying the night, as the snow had trapped her and her young son in Percival and Mercia's domain. Her former maid lovingly stroked her stomach. Looking at her son for a moment, she missed the little wince the other woman gave._

" _Did you ask Merlin to predict whether you would have a small Lord or a little Lady?"_

" _Oh, I did not, but I am most certain it will be a boy," the sweet lady answered._

" _How can you be so sure?"_

" _I just know. Besides, boy or girl does not matter to Percival. He only wishes for a healthy child."_

 _She felt the baby kick and though she winced a little bit, a smile adorned her features._

" _Have you chosen a name yet?"_

" _Percival and I discussed certain ones, but I have a name in mind. And I am quite sure he will approve of it. Isn't it right, my dear Gwaine?" She cooed at her stomach, giving it a gentle caress._

 _The Queen's eyes grew the size of saucers and her hand shot up to her mouth._

" _Oh, Mercia he is going to be so happy…"_

" _I sure hope so."_

" _Who is going to be happy?" Percival asked, walking in the room. Some snow still clung to his shoulder._

 _The two women smiled to each other._

" _Us. I was telling her highness that I was due very soon."_

 _He smiled and bent down to kiss her forehead._

When he woke up, Percy's eyes had needed some time to adjust from the golden dragon embroidered on a bright red cape and the flames licking the sides of the fireplace to the dark dorm room, Gavin's snoring piercing the silence of the night on the bed placed at the other side of the room.

 _oOo_

"Dude, I don't know. You're burning, like, five hundred bases. You haven't even kissed her yet," Gavin said, legs on his desk, looking at the ceiling of their room.

Percy's head was buried in his hands.

"You think I don't know that?"

"What's up, guys?" Arthur asked, trailed by Len, Marley, Elias, and Lance.

"Percy here just dreamt that Marcy was carrying his child," the bad boy said, still looking at the ceiling.

"Will you shut up?" The bigger one groaned.

Arthur burst out laughing.

"You're joking, right?"

Gavin cocked an eyebrow and Percy was still hiding his face.

"Somehow, I think he isn't," Marley commented.

There was a heavy silence.

"Close the damn door, will you?" Gavin finally asked. "Percy, start talking."

"It's just… It doesn't mean anything guys."

"You dreamt that you knocked up a girl you've been in love with practically since you met her and that you're still chasing around without actually making a tangible move, Percy. So, like I said, start talking."

"We didn't even have the same names," he exclaimed, exasperated. "She was Mercia, and Gwendoline was with her, and her name was Guinevere. They called me Percival. And then they talked about a Merlin and some guy named Gaius."

Merlin's heart started beating fast in his chest and blood rushed to his ears. So far, Arthur had been dreaming of banners, a crown, knights riding horses, red capes. But Percival had whole scenes playing out.

"It was snowing really hard out. The clothes we wore, they… they were from another era. The whole room was from another time in the past."

"Like… medieval?" Merlin asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"How did you know?"

"I'm an English major. Mercia, Guinevere, those are clearly from the medieval era." So much bullshit. But it seemed to check out.

"Yeah, whatever, Marley. Perce, continue."

"And that's it! They were sitting down, she was very pregnant, and they were talking about the baby… She wanted… she wanted to name him Gwaine, because that would make me- _Percival_ happy for some reason."

"Hey, guys… That's kinda weird, you know? Guinevere, Merlin, Percival, Gwaine… Those are all names from the Arthurian legends. Marley, was there a Mercia anywhere?"

"Oh, now you guys want my input?"

"Marley…"

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Arthur. Yes, there was a Mercia. She was Percival's wife. There aren't many stories about her since the stories focus more on the love triangle between Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot, but Percival and Mercia were very much in love."

"Dude, that checks out. You probably read something about this last night and you clocked out. Then, you dreamt of them, but with our faces."

"I… guess," he shifted uncomfortably.

No way he was about to tell them that those dreams had happened before. And that they didn't quite feel like dreams, but more like memories.

 _oOo_

"He's avoiding me…," Marcy said, worried.

"Oh, God…"

"He found out. I'm positive."

"Impossible! I didn't tell Arthur or any of the guys. There is no way…"

"Maybe someone overheard us and told him."

"If it was the case, the rumor mill would've come back to us," Gwen assured her. Nevertheless, she was still alarmed. Did she let anything slip in front of Arthur? Not that she could remember of.

"Okay, Marcy is worried. What's with Percy?" She asked, hands on her hips, looking every bit as terrifying as beautiful to Arthur.

"Nothing," he said quickly.

"Don't lie to me!"

"Look, if I said anything, Percy would literally destroy me."

"We're talking about Percy. He's a giant teddy bear who wouldn't hurt a fly. He smuggled a kitten into the dorms last year and risked facing a suspension for breaking dorm policy because, I quote, it was cold, and it needed attention before he could find it a loving home. And, to make things better, he named it _Mr. Mittens_. So yes, terrifying indeed."

"I honestly can't tell y…"

His resolve melted away when she gave him the puppy eyes.

"Okay, he dreamed he was in some sort of medieval setting, and that Marcy was his wife, and he had knocked her up."

Gwen blinked a couple of times before bursting into laughter.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I wish I were…"

"Oh God, this is fantastic. Weird, but totally awesome."

"Why?"

"Because Marcy had the exact same dream."

Arthur blinked a few times.

"You're messing with me…"

"I am not."

There was a brief silence as they looked at each other.

"We're not telling them, are we?" She said, seeing the expression on her boyfriend's face.

"God no, that's just too funny to pass up."

"They're our friends, and she's freaking out…"

"But it's _funny_."

"You're horrible."

"And you love me."

 _oOo_

 _Gwen frowned, worried. Mercia looked a bit pale, and a slight pained grimace deformed her features every now and then. But she had just told her that she was not due for another week. The snow hadn't stopped outside, and Percival was nowhere to be seen, having stepped out to take a bath._

" _Mercia are you alright? You seem ill."_

" _I am just fine, Your Highness. The little one seems a bit…," she winced, her hand shooting up to her stomach, "… a bit agitated today."_

" _We should send for Gaius."_

" _It is nothing to be worried about. I am…"_

 _A little gasp of pain escaped her lips and her deep blue eyes closed from the pain. Gwen got up from her seat and hurried to her friend's side. She called for a maid, who instantly hurried inside the room._

" _Call for Sir Percival. Tell him his wife is about to give birth and send a carriage for Gaius."_

" _Yes, your Majesty!"_

 _Less than five minutes later, Percival came running down, hurriedly dressed. He kneeled by his wife, murmuring soothing words in her ear and rubbing her back._

" _It seems someone is impatient to come out," Gwen declared._

" _It cannot be, I am not due for another week!"_

" _Well, your baby has decided otherwise!"_

 _Percival's mother, Elise, woken up by the noise, came down in her nightgown and a shawl around her shoulders._

" _Is everything alright? Oh, darling, you look pale!"_

" _The baby is coming!" Percival announced._

 _A maid came in, a panicked look on her face._

" _The snow has blocked the routes to the castle, there is no way a carriage can make it through!"_

 _Mercia's eyes shot open._

" _You seem to be right, this baby is coming out today," she said sheepishly. "My water has just broken."_

 _Percival stood up and called for someone to get his horse ready and to fetch his cloak. Kissing his wife's forehead, he promised to be back soon._

" _Alright, help me take her to bed, and will someone warm some water up?" Elise ordered._

 _Mercia, lifted by her mother-in-law and Gwen, was taken to her bedroom and changed into a nightgown._

" _It's going to be alright, honey," Elise promised, stroking her hair._

 _Wincing at the contraction, Mercia nodded, giving her a small smile, silently hoping her husband would be back with Gaius soon._

 _oOo_

It was particularly difficult for Marcy to focus during her biology lecture, that day. She had yet another dream that night, and the pain had felt so real that when she had woken up, she was still feeling labor pains for close to an hour after. As soon as the class was dismissed, she ran out to hide out in her room.

Marcy was alone for about twenty minutes until Gwen walked in. She stopped on her tracks when she saw her roommate sitting on her bed, clutching a pillow.

"Are you okay?" She asked, worried.

"I'm fine… just…"

"More dreams?"

Marcy nodded silently.

"I thought I was good, I haven't had one in about a week and a half and then… It picked up right after the last one. About an hour or two later, I'd say? It's weird, they used to be all over the place but now they're following some sort of timeline, almost. And… I was in labor, but the physician couldn't get there, because of the snow, so Percival went to get him."

Gwen frowned, feeling guilty for not telling her friend sooner. If she'd known Percy was having the same dreams, she would maybe feel better.

"Marcy, I have to tell you something."

A pair of huge baby blue eyes looked back at her.

"I asked Arthur if Percy was ignoring you on purpose and he said that he was, but that's because he's also having the same dreams as you, and he was worried anything he'd say might give it away and freak you out. He likes you, and he doesn't want to ruin anything before it has even started."

Marcy was speechless. All she could do was stare at Gwen like a fish out of the water.

"I should have told you sooner, but Arthur made me promise not to say a word."

Gwen had feared Marcy would be angry. The latter only nodded with a weak smile, saying that of course, if Arthur had asked her to keep it under wraps, there was no way she could have told her. She really was the sweetest person Gwen had ever met.

"Maybe… talk to Percival? He'll be a little less panicked if you tell him about the dreams."

Marcy nodded slowly. She agreed she needed to tell him but how would she even bring it up.

 _oOo_

 _Though she was only whimpering at first, Mercia soon started screaming in pain as the contractions became stronger._

" _It will be alright," Elise promised, stroking her daughter-in-law's hair._

" _Percival should be back soon, he has been gone for nearly an hour."_

 _As if prompted by her words, the bedroom doors opened and Gaius, followed by Merlin, entered the room._

" _I will need some space in here," the old man warned._

" _I'll go. Dame Elise, you stay, she will need you," Gwen said._

" _Tell Percival she'll be fine and to not worry. Everything seems good here, and I can always use magic if things get out of hands," Merlin assured._

 _Gwen nodded, gave a few words of encouragement to her friend, and promised to be back to check on her before leaving._

 _The room they were previously in was crowded by men in deep red cloaks embroidered with the golden sigil of Camelot. The Knights, having caught wind of the situation, had all followed Percival, Gaius, and Merlin. They were all silent, an expression of worry on their faces. The armchair Mercia was sitting on when her water had broken was nowhere to be seen. A maid came to tell her that William was soundly asleep in one of the rooms upstairs._

" _Gaius and Merlin are with her, and Merlin says she seems fine for now. Congratulations, Percival. You are about to be a father."_

 _Leon clapped Percival on the shoulder and the Knights cheered for their companion. Though worried, Percival seemed over the moon. Until Mercia let out a blood curling scream from their room. Then all the color drained from his face. Gwen sighed and looked outside. The snow had stopped falling and the sky had cleared up somewhat, the stars shining bright. It was rather late, and the baby wouldn't be born anytime soon as Mercia still had a long way to go. However, none of the Knights seemed to care and all had decided to stay put until the smallest member of the Knighthood was brought into the world._

" _None of us are leaving until Percival is a father!" Sir Constantine bellowed._

" _Hear, hear!" Galahad agreed._

 _The hours passed, and the few clouds disappeared. The sky turned lighter and a fog settled on the land. Gwen had squeezed Percival's shoulder after every scream, assuring him that Mercia would be fine, and finally, as the horizon turned pink, a baby's wail was heard. A few seconds later, Gaius and Merlin entered the hall, smiles on their faces._

" _Both of them are fine. The maids are cleaning up. You will be able to see them in a short while."_

 _A concert of cheers followed by a rather off-key song (the Knights had had a few drinks throughout the night) rose and Percival finally breathed freely. His mother walked in, with a big smile and a sparkle in her eyes, telling him he could go up._

 _His wife was propped up against pillows, glowing with happiness, the small bundle in her arms. He sat at her side and kissed her temple._

" _Would you like to hold your son?" She asked, her eyes gleaming._

 _He nodded, unable to speak due to the knot in his throat. The baby looked ridiculously small in his giant hands, yet he handled him with the utmost care._

" _And I would assume little Gwaine's uncles would want to see him," Mercia said, watching him carefully._

 _Percival felt like somebody had punched him in the gut. His eyes welled up._

" _You… you want to name him Gwaine?" He whispered, the tears ready to fall from his eyes._

" _It's a beautiful name, and it belonged to the best friend you ever had. There was never a doubt."_

 _Still holding Gwaine in his arms, Percival kissed his wife, convinced she was a saint or some sort of angel._

" _Go. They are probably dying to see him."_

 _Percival walked proudly into the other room, holding the newest addition to his family._

" _Everyone! Meet little Gwaine," He beamed to the rowdy bunch._

Marcy's eyes opened wide as she gasped for air. She laid still on her bed, tears dripping silently, her arms feeling empty without the weight of Gwaine on them.

She got dressed and left, careful not to wake Gwen up. Walking to the edge of campus, by the lake the rowing crew sometimes practiced on. The lake was jokingly dubbed as the Lake of Avalon by the medieval history department at the founding of the school, and that years later had caught on. There were rumors of it being haunted by the spirit of a young woman, but nothing to prove the claims

Marcy stopped in her track as she noticed someone sitting by the lake. The leaves at her feet rustled and the man turned around, calling her name as he saw her. She recognized Percy's voice.

"Are you okay?" He asked as she sat next to him. He must have seen she had been crying.

"Percy, I know you've been having some dreams."

Her eyes having adjusted to the dark, she saw his cheeks darken and he started stuttering.

"I've been having the same ones. I saw him tonight, Perce. I… I held him. Gwaine."

Percy lowered his eyes, before finally saying:

"I did too."

They stared at each other for a short while, not noticing the faint light in the middle of the lake that seemed to come from the bottom of it, before Percy grabbed her face and kissed her. Her lips felt comfortingly familiar as she reciprocated. Too familiar.

Images of cloaks, horses, battlefields, and banners flooded both their minds. Marcy broke the kiss, and looked into his eyes, a new light in her deep blue irises. The same one shone in his, as he took in the girl sitting beside him. From across the lake, Freya watched them, smiling to Merlin, who was perched on a rock. He had taken the habit of coming to see his old love regularly as she watched over the word at the bottom of the lake.

"I think these two have finally found each other," he whispered to the lady of the Lake, who smiled knowingly.

Marcy looked at Percy for what seemed to be an eternity. The world seemed to stop and speed up at the same time. She loved him now, and she had loved him centuries ago. They had died loving each other in another life, and she could not imagine dying any other way in this one.

"Percival," she whispered, the echoes of her previous life resonating through her mind. The way he looked at her told her he remembered it too.

"Mercia…"

* * *

 _Hullo guys!_

 _So this was not supposed to happen. But I started having a few more ideas for Percival and Mercia and little by little, this came to life._

 _Enjoy and leave a review to tell me how you liked it!_

 _Maddie._


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